Paavoharju"Aurinkotuuleen"

Music scenes in Sweden and Norway are flourishing at the moment, but how come we haven't heard much from their Nordic neighbours in Finland? The ten or so members of Paavoharju state a convincing case as to why they deserve our attention. Heck they even provide ten "good to know" introductory tidbits like "We are not new-age hippies," "Paavoharju is against drugs" and "We believe in King Messiah Jesus our Righteous Branch coming from David." Okay... From Savonlinna, the collective is based mostly around brothers Lauri ("not female nor shemale," they say) and Olli Ainala, who loosely started the band in 1985 when they were infants. Hmm... As years went by they gathered new members and in 2003 found inspiration in a dead body they discovered hanging from a noose. Interesting... Known for delving into everything from reggae and psych rock to field recordings and off-kilter opera even, there are few stones unturned with this crew. While "Aurinkotuuleen" may not be the work of hippies, it sure does sound like art school students relishing in a sound collage crafted by various found sounds and objects. Rolling steel drums, superfluous vocals and crackling ambience, ebb and flow in a lo-fi, distorted setting that continuously sounds like it's on the brink of collapse. Paavoharju "Aurinkotuuleen"